The Hubble Space Telescope has given us some more evidence that the two neighboring galaxies, Andromeda Galaxy and our very own, Milky Way galaxy might actually collide with each other in about 4 billion years from now.
According to an image captured by Hubble Space Telescope, the NASA astronomers have predicted that our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda (aka M31) is on a collision course with Milky Way Galaxy, due to the gravitational pulls of these galaxies. This incident would happen in about 4 billion years from now.
Ask Gurtina Besla of Columbia University, and she says:
In the worst-case-scenario simulation, M31 slams into the Milky Way head-on and the stars are all scattered into different orbits. The stellar populations of both galaxies are jostled, and the Milky Way loses its flattened pancake shape with most of the stars on nearly circular orbits. The galaxies’ cores merge, and the stars settle into randomized orbits to create an elliptical-shaped galaxy.
Well, this might sound little interesting for some researchers and allow them to study the gravity that exists between these galaxies. But wait, there’s one more thing. What would happen after these two galaxies collide? Well, due to the gravity that exists between these two galaxies, they are expected to reunite themselves into one after collision of over three to four times.
The image below clearly explains the same situation and the description is also below the image according to NASA:
- This series of photo illustrations shows the predicted merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy.
Here’s the description for the photo above:
- First Row, Left: Present day.
- First Row, Right: In 2 billion years the disk of the approaching Andromeda galaxy is noticeably larger.
- Second Row, Left: In 3.75 billion years Andromeda fills the field of view.
- Second Row, Right: In 3.85 billion years the sky is ablaze with new star formation.
- Third Row, Left: In 3.9 billion years, star formation continues.
- Third Row, Right: In 4 billion years Andromeda is tidally stretched and the Milky Way becomes warped.
- Fourth Row, Left: In 5.1 billion years the cores of the Milky Way and Andromeda appear as a pair of bright lobes.
- Fourth Row, Right: In 7 billion years the merged galaxies form a huge elliptical galaxy, its bright core dominating the nighttime sky.
Source: NASA
Via: The Verge